People and Society of Tokelau

Nationality

Tokelauan(s)

Ethnic Groups

Polynesian

Population

1,499

Life Expectancy at Birth

Life expectancy at birth in Tokelau is estimated at approximately 69 to 71 years overall, though precise and regularly updated figures are difficult to establish given the territory's exceptionally small population and limited formal statistical infrastructure. As a non-self-governing territory of New Zealand comprising three low-lying coral atolls — Atafu, Fakaofo, and Nukunonu — Tokelau has a total population of only around 1,500 people, which makes demographic data inherently variable and statistically sensitive to even minor changes. The territory's remote location in the central Pacific Ocean, combined with its geographic isolation and lack of a permanent airstrip, presents ongoing challenges to healthcare delivery. Medical services on the atolls are basic, with each atoll maintaining a small hospital or clinic staffed by local health workers and supported by visiting medical teams coordinated through New Zealand. For more serious or complex medical conditions, residents must travel to Samoa or New Zealand for treatment, a logistical challenge that can meaningfully affect health outcomes depending on the urgency and nature of the condition. Despite these constraints, the community benefits from strong social cohesion and traditional subsistence practices, including fishing and coconut cultivation, which contribute to a diet rich in locally sourced protein and nutrients. However, like many Pacific Island populations, Tokelauans face rising rates of non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, conditions that have become increasingly prevalent due to a gradual shift toward imported processed foods. These health trends place downward pressure on life expectancy and represent a growing public health concern for the territory. New Zealand provides substantial funding and administrative support for health services in Tokelau, and the Tokelau National Health Service operates with guidance and resources from the New Zealand Ministry of Health. Climate change also poses a longer-term threat to population health and food security, as the atolls sit only a few meters above sea level and are increasingly vulnerable to storm surges, saltwater intrusion, and disruptions to freshwater supplies. The comparatively modest life expectancy figures reflect broader Pacific regional health challenges rather than acute poverty or conflict, and continued investment in preventive care, nutrition education, and climate resilience remains a priority for improving long-term health outcomes across the atolls.

Infant Mortality Rate

Tokelau presents a unique challenge when it comes to tracking infant mortality data, largely due to its extremely small population and remote location in the central Pacific Ocean. The territory consists of three coral atolls — Atafu, Nukunonu, and Fakaofo — with a total population that rarely exceeds 1,500 people. Because of this, statistically reliable annual infant mortality rates are difficult to establish with confidence, and Tokelau is frequently absent from global health databases that require minimum population thresholds to generate meaningful figures. Infant mortality is defined as the number of deaths occurring in children under one year of age per 1,000 live births in a given year. For small territories like Tokelau, even a single infant death in a year can produce a rate that appears dramatically high by international standards, while a year with no deaths would register zero — making trend analysis misleading. Tokelau is a dependent territory of New Zealand, and its residents hold New Zealand citizenship. Health services on the atolls are provided through a combination of local health practitioners and referrals to Samoa or New Zealand for more complex medical needs. This arrangement means that higher-risk pregnancies and births are often managed off-island, which may help reduce infant deaths that would otherwise occur in a setting with limited neonatal care infrastructure. Despite the lack of consistent published statistics, general health indicators for Pacific Island territories under New Zealand administration tend to be meaningfully better than those of independent developing nations in the region. The accessibility of New Zealand's healthcare system for referrals, combined with international aid and support from organizations such as UNICEF and the World Health Organization, contributes to relatively favorable health outcomes in these communities. Given the absence of reliable annual figures, Tokelau is generally excluded from global infant mortality rankings. Those seeking the most current health data for Tokelau are encouraged to consult the Pacific Community (SPC) regional health data platform or New Zealand's Ministry of Health, which periodically publishes health profiles for its Pacific territories.

Literacy Definition

NA

• Congregational Christian Church70.0%
• Roman Catholic28.0%
• other2.0%

Tokelauan (a Polynesian language), English

• English
• Tokelauan